Various methods and apparatuses are known in the art for facilitating the movement of a cursor to a point on the display of a computer or the like. Such methods and apparatuses are useful in assisting electronic device users (such as users of general purpose or dedicated computers) in selecting text, graphics, or menus for subsequent manipulation.
Coordinate based input devices include relative coordinate devices such as mice, track balls and absolute coordinate devices including digitizing tablets, touch screens, and touch pads. A mouse is a hand-held device which typically has between one and three feature buttons (physical electrical switches) for selecting different features related to or useful to a coordinate selected. The mouse buttons are typically arranged horizontally and referred to as left, right and middle mouse buttons. Digitizers and touch screens are utilized in a similar manner and most generally employ either an active or passive stylus. Where an active stylus is employed one or more buttons located on the stylus may be actuated so as to allow mouse button-type feature selection.
Features available for mouse selection can be broken down into the following categories: (a) primary features which are most commonly supported; (b) secondary features which are often supported yet are less common than primary features; and (c) tertiary features which are sometimes supported yet are less common than secondary features.
In the case of a single button mouse, primary features are the only available features. Single button mouse users typically select these features via the index finger pushing the single mouse button.
In the case of a two button mouse, both primary and secondary features are available. A typical right handed user makes primary feature selection via the index finger pushing the left mouse button. In addition, said user makes secondary feature selection via the long finger pushing the right mouse button.
In the case of a three button mouse, primary, secondary and tertiary features are available. A typical right handed user makes primary feature selection via the index finger pushing the left mouse button. In addition, said user makes secondary feature selection via the third finger pushing the right mouse button. Finally, said user makes tertiary feature selection via the long finger pushing the middle mouse button.
Note that users have the option of orienting mouse buttons differently than stated above. However, for the remainder of this document, left mouse button input will be associated with primary feature selection, right mouse button input will be associated with secondary feature selection and middle mouse button input will be associated with tertiary input selection.
Where a passive stylus is utilized other means for selecting mouse button-type features must be employed. Additionally, in absolute coordinate data input devices an initial contact is interpreted as primary mouse (e.g., left mouse button) activation. For example, Calder, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,531, teaches a coordinate processor capable of locking a cursor position and allowing differentiation between cursor movement from button click commands without requiring a manually operable push button. However, the Calder, et al., teaching does not disclose means for issuing relative coordinate device right mouse button commands.
Systems capable of emulating relative coordinate device right mouse button commands have been disclosed. For example, Ward, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,495, teaches a system for simulating a mouse by displaying a mouse icon overlay so as to allow a user to select a coordinate with a stylus and then select a mouse button by moving the stylus to the mouse icon overlay. However, the Ward, et al., system utilizes relative coordinate location of the stylus input based upon a graphical simulacrum of a mouse. Therefore, the Ward, et al., system requires (a) additional processor time to process the mouse icon display, (b) an icon which covers a viewable sized area of the display, and (c) a user to drag the icon into position rather than allowing a user to simply point and act on the coordinate desired.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide touch screen and touch pad users with full mouse-like input. Likewise, it is another object of the present invention to provide a system which allows right mouse emulation with touch screens and touch pads. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a system which performs without degrading computer performance. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a system which allows both point as well as drag-and-drop selection. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system which does not impede the viewable area of a display during operation.